Quick recipes with lamb, steak and shrimp

So you went and got yourself in a great big hurry, and now you're hungry. Here are three "quick fix" meals that will have you up and dining in no time, right at home.

First up is tangy sweet and sour shrimp over rice is an easy dish. It's based on prepared ingredients that can be assembled in minutes at home. Best of all there's no chopping and peeling which means no fuss or mess.

Here are a few ingredients that are worth keeping on hand for a quick meal: frozen peeled, deveined shrimp, sweet-sour sauce, frozen chopped onion and bell pepper.

Use the 10-minute rice recipe given or buy quick-cooking rice and follow the package directions.

Your wok or skillet should be very hot so the shrimp will be crisp, not steamed. I add the ingredients in three stages to make sure the pan stays hot while stir-frying.

This meal contains 759 calories per serving with 13 percent of calories from fat.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp

(Makes 2 servings.)

1 tsp. canola oil

1 cup frozen diced onion

1 cup frozen diced green bell pepper

¾ lb. peeled shrimp

1 cup low-salt, bottled sweet and sour sauce

1 cup fresh pineapple cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps: Heat a wok or nonstick skillet over high heat and add oil. When the oil begins smoking, add onion and green pepper. Stir fry 2 minutes or until golden, not brown. Remove vegetables to bowl. Add shrimp to wok, stir-fry 1 min. Remove to bowl with vegetables. Add sauce and pineapple to wok and immediately return vegetables and shrimp. Toss 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice and peas.

Steps: Bring a large pot with 2 to 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add rice and boil, uncovered, about 8 minutes. Add peas and continue to boil 2 minutes. Test a grain, rice should be cooked through, but not soft. Drain and place in a bowl. Mix in oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Another quick-to-assemble meal is lamb steaks drizzled with mint pesto sauce is a perfect dish for this holiday weekend or any weeknight dinner. Slices of lamb are cut from the leg to make a steak ¾- to 1-inch thick with a round bone in the center. They are sometimes displayed in the meat case, or you can ask the butcher to cut them for you. They make juicy and tender steaks.

Garlic potatoes take only minutes in the microwave. Tomato slices brighten the plate and complete the meal, which contains 505 calories per serving with 35 percent of calories from fat.

Place mint leaves, garlic, lemon juice, oil and 1 T. water in a food processor. Process until well mixed, scraping down sides once or twice. Add the pine nuts and cheese, and process to form a sauce. Spoon over lamb. Makes 2 servings.

Steps: Wash potatoes; do not peel. Cut into ½-inch pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and toss with garlic and 2 T. water. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove and stir. Return to microwave and cook on high 2 minutes. Remove and let stand 1 minute. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Serve sliced tomato on the side. .

Finally, Neapolitan bistecca alla pizzaioli (Steak with Spicy Tomato Sauce), which was originally used to disguise the poor quality of meat in this region of Italy.Today we can enjoy excellent meats with this sauce for a quick and delicious meal.

Fennel has a large, pale green bulbous base with darker green stems and feathery, bright green leaves. It's sometimes labeled anise in the market. Both the base and stems can be eaten raw or cooked. It has a very mild, sweet licorice flavor.The fennel is very thinly sliced for this salad. Use a mandolin or the thin slicing blade on the food processor. It will take only a few minutes.

This meal contains 534 calories per serving with 38 percent of calories from fat.

Steak Pizzaioli

(Makes 2 servings)

½ cup low-sodium pasta sauce

4 pitted, black olives, cut in half

1 tsp. dried oregano

Several drops hot pepper sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil spray

1 tsp. minced garlic

½ lb. sirloin steak

Steps: Place pasta sauce, olives and oregano in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high 2 minutes to warm through. Set aside. Or for stove top, simmer pasta sauce, olives and oregano in a saucepan until heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and remove from heat while steak cooks.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil spray.Rub the garlic onto the steak and brown the steak on both sides, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper the cooked sides. Lower heat to medium and cook 5 minutes or until steak is cooked through.A meat thermometer should read 130 degrees for rare and 160 degrees for medium. Remove from the skillet and spoon sauce on top.

Steps: Cut the top stem and feathery leaves off the fennel. Reserve leaves. Wash and slice the fennel bulb.Place sliced fennel and beans in a bowl and add dressing and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Snip about 1 T. of the feathery leaves and sprinkle over salad.